The invention relates to a tire building machine servicer, and more particularly to an extensible servicer tray for the consistently accurate guiding and delivery of tire components to a tire carcass during the process of building said tire.
With the development of tire construction designs utilizing circumferential belts, tire manufacturers have been faced with the problem of assembling the narrow web or stripe-like belt members to the tire carcass assembly in an efficient yet precise manner. Assembly of such web or strip-like belt members in an off center or otherwise inaccurate manner may impart undesirable riding, wearing and/or handling characteristics to a tire so assembled.
Accordingly, numerous concepts and devices have been developed by the tire industry, their purpose being to guide or assist the tire builder in properly positioning the various tire components in their assembly of an incured tire carcass. One popular method is the use of an overhead projector, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,390, whereby predetermined guide lines are projected to the building drum and/or tire assembly surface, thereby providing the tire builder with reference or guide lines.
The typical tire assembly apparatus consists of a tire building machine containing a suitable drum or surface upon which the various tire components are assembled. Generally associated with the tire building machine is an apparatus referred to as the servicer. The servicer basically functions as a storage and dispensing apparatus for the various components required in building a specific type of tire. There are a variety of servicer designs, all having as their purpose the convenient delivery of tire components to the operator or the tire building machine. A common feature of such servicers is the use of pivoted extensions called ply pans whereby tire components, held by the servicer, are delivered to within the convenient proximity of the tire building machine operator. The prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. to Henley 3,600,252, dated Aug. 17, 1971, and Enders 3,795,563, dated Mar. 5, 1974 disclose such pans for stock delivery. The Henley patent discloses a tread stock delivery pan which is extensible while the belt and ply pans are fixed. The Enders patent discloses a tread stock delivery pan which is arranged to pivot into delivery position.
One notable deficiency of servicer/servicer pan assemblies heretofore known to the art was their propensity for human error resulting in off center or otherwise mis-aligned assembly of tire components, especially in regard to the tire belts.